System and method for providing a user interface with search query broadening

Abstract

A system and method for providing a user interface with search query broadening is described. A query defining a search executable on potentially retrievable information is accepted. The query is parsed. A broadened query is provided. At least one of the broadened query and results of a search executed on the broadened query is presented.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A device comprising:
 a memory to store instructions; and   a processor to execute one or more of the instructions to:
 receive a search query,
 the search query including:
 a plurality of terms, and 
 an indication that one or more terms, of the plurality of terms of the search query, are to be broadened, 
 
 
 broaden the scope of the search query to obtain a broadened search query,
 when broadening the scope of the search query, the processor is to:
 determine whether to combine a first term, of the one or more terms, with a second term, of the one or more terms, and 
 broaden the first term to obtain a broadened term, without broadening the second term, when the first term is not to be combined with the second term, 
 
 
 cause the broadened search query to be executed to identify one or more search results, and 
 cause the one or more search results to be provided for display. 
   
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 37 , where, when broadening the scope of the search query, the processor is further to:
 combine the first term with the second term to obtain a combination of terms when the first term is to be combined with the second term, and   broaden the combination of terms to obtain a broadened combination of terms.   
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 37 , where the indication that the one or more terms are to be broadened includes one or more characters being provided adjacent the first term, and
 where the first term is broadened based on the one or more characters being provided adjacent the first term.   
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 37 , where the processor is further to:
 determine whether one or more characters are provided adjacent a third term of the one or more terms, and   determine that the third term is to be broadened when the one or more characters are provided adjacent the third term,   where the indication that the one or more terms are to be broadened includes the one or more characters being provided adjacent the third term, and   where, when broadening the scope of the search query, the processor is further to:
 broaden the third term to obtain a broadened third term. 
   
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 37 , where the search query is received from a user, and where the processor is further to:
 present the broadened search query to the user prior to causing the broadened search query to be executed,   receive, from the user, one or more modifications to the broadened search query after presenting the broadened search query to the user, and   modify the broadened search query, based on the one or more modifications, to obtain a modified search query.   
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 41 , where, when causing the broadened search query to be executed, the processor is to:
 cause the modified search query to be executed to identify one or more search results.   
     
     
         43 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive a search query,
 the search query including:
 a plurality of terms, and 
 an indication that at least one term, of the plurality of terms of the search query, is to be broadened; 
 
   one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to broaden the scope of the search query to obtain a broadened search query,
 the one or more instructions to broaden the scope of the search query including:
 one or more instructions to determine whether to combine a first term, of the at least one term, with a second term, of the at least one term, 
 one or more instructions to broaden the first term to obtain a broadened term, without broadening the second term, when the first term is not to be combined with the second term; 
 
   one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause the broadened search query to be executed to identify one or more search results; and   one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause the one or more search results to be provided for display.   
     
     
         44 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 43 , the one or more instructions to broaden the scope of the search query further including:
 one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to combine the first term with the second term to obtain a combination of terms when the first term is to be combined with the second term; and   one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to broaden the combination of terms to obtain a broadened combination of terms.   
     
     
         45 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 43 , where the indication that the at least one term is to be broadened includes one or more characters being provided adjacent the first term, and
 where the first term is broadened based on the one or more characters being provided adjacent the first term.   
     
     
         46 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 43 , the instructions further comprising:
 one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to present the broadened search query prior to causing the broadened search query to be executed;   one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive one or more modifications to the broadened search query after presenting the broadened search query; and   one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to modify the broadened search query, based on the one or more modifications, to obtain a modified search query,   where the one or more instructions to cause the broadened search query to be executed include:
 one or more instructions to cause the modified search query to be executed to identify one or more search results. 
   
     
     
         47 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 43 , the instructions further comprising:
 one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine that one or more characters are provided adjacent a third term of the at least one term,
 where the indication that the at least one term is to be broadened includes the one or more characters being provided adjacent the third term; and 
   one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine that the third term is to be broadened based on determining that the one or more characters are provided adjacent the third term,   where the one or more instructions to broaden the scope of the search query include:
 one or more instructions to broaden the third term to obtain a broadened third term,
 the broadened third term includes one or more of a synonym of the third term, an alternate spelling of the third term, a word that shares a common root with the third term, or a word that shares a similar semantic meaning with the third term. 
 
   
     
     
         48 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a device, a search query,
 the search query including:
 one or more terms, and 
 an indication that a scope of the search query is to be broadened; 
 
   broadening, by the device, the scope of the search query to obtain a broadened search query by broadening a particular term, of the one or more terms, to obtain a broadened particular term;   causing, by the device, the broadened search query to be executed to identify one or more search results; and   causing, by the device, the one or more search results to be provided for display.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , where the broadened particular term includes one or more of:
 a synonym of the particular term,   an alternate spelling of the particular term,   a word that shares a common root with the particular term, or   a word that shares a similar semantic meaning with the particular term.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , where the indication that the scope of the search query is to be broadened includes one or more characters being provided adjacent the particular term, and
 where the particular term is broadened based on the one or more characters being provided adjacent the particular term.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 48 , where the search query is received from a user,
 the method further comprising:
 presenting the broadened search query to the user,
 where the broadened search query is executed after presenting the broadened search query to the user. 
 
   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the user, one or more modifications to the broadened search query after presenting the broadened search query to the user; and   modifying the broadened search query, based on the one or more modifications, to obtain a modified search query.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , where causing the broadened search query to be executed includes:
 causing the modified search query to be executed to identify one or more search results.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52 , where presenting the broadened search query includes:
 presenting a plurality of terms that includes a plurality of:
 a synonym of the particular term, 
 an alternate spelling of the particular term, 
 a word that shares a common root with the particular term, or 
 a word that shares a similar semantic meaning with the particular term, and 
   where detecting the one or more modifications includes:
 detecting selection of one or more of the plurality of terms, 
   where modifying the broadened search query includes:
 modifying the broadened search query to include the one or more of the plurality of terms to obtain a modified search query, and 
   where causing the broadened search query to be executed includes:
 causing the modified search query to be executed to identify one or more search results. 
   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , where broadening the scope of the search query comprises:
 combining the first term with the second term to obtain a combination of terms when the first term is to be combined with the second term; and   broadening the combination of terms to obtain a broadened combination of terms.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 48 , where the indication that the scope of the search query is to be broadened includes one or more characters being provided adjacent another term of the one or more terms, and
 where broadening the scope of the search query includes:
 broadening the scope of the search query to obtain the broadened search query by broadening the particular term to obtain the broadened particular term and the other term to obtain a broadened other term.